Black Kids - Neumos (Seattle, WA; April 17, 2009)

If you were to design the house party of your dreams and were looking for a certain band to entertain your reveling guests and keep them dancing all night long (or until the po-po shows up), I think I’ve found who you are looking for. I’ll give you a hint: it’s not Kid ’n Play.

Yes, it’s Black Kids. 2008’s indie synth-pop darlings brought their newer wave stylings to Seattle, still touring off of the not-so-surprising success of last year’s debut album, Partie Traumatic. I say not-so-surprising, because if you take one listen through the record you’ll realize that this band has an instant appeal that will help propel them to further success, as long as they keep making music as fun to listen to, and remarkably consistent as their first album

It’s this consistency that had me assured that the Neumo’s crowd would not leave disappointed. “Listen To Your Body Tonight” and “Partie Traumatic” opened up the set and had the sold-out crowd ready to let loose, although it was not until lead-singer and guitarist Reggie Youngblood implored everyone to really start dancing when the band really connected with the Neumo’s denizens.

Youngblood’s voice is the most distinct aspect of the band’s sound, falling somewhere between Robert Smith on anti-depressants and a crooning David Bowie. Comparisons aside, the uniqueness of his vocals help set the band apart from other indie acts with catchy choruses and synthesizers.

Every one of the band’s songs has an instant hook that can be attributed to solid songwriting and production that may seem gimmicky or cheesy at first, but one quickly abandons this thought rather quickly after uncontrollably starting to move one’s body to the retro-synth goodness. It’s just the right amount of cheese.

The band rolled through a number of the songs from the album, as well as a new song, called “UFO Cool” that hopefully is a sign that they are working through some new material that will make up their second record. My two favorite songs, “Hurricane Jane,” and “I’m Making Eyes At You,” were played towards the end of the set, and are both prime examples of what Black Kids does best: cheeky synth hooks and vocals that brings one back to the apex of 80’s new wave, while bringing enough of their own sound to the table to make the song instantly memorable and able to stick in your head for days.

At it’s core, Black Kids is five friends having a blast on stage, playing their favorite music and desperately wanting to bring the audience in on the party. They rightly deserve a future spot reserved for them in the pantheon of great party bands.

If you can’t book Black Kids for you next house party, do the next best thing: buy their album, press play, and try not to dance.

DOWNLOAD: Black Kids - I'm Making Eyes At You (MP3) or Follow us for more Black Kids MP3s (Twitter)

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